Rival Lines
Match Preview - Burnley v AFCB
Blogger Interview - Up the Clarets
Twitter: @utcdotcom
This week I sent some questions to Tony Scholes who is the editor of Up the Clarets! While Burnley have not had the greatest of starts I wanted to see if Tony could give any insight into why it had been a slow start for Burnley and whether last season was perhaps a bit of a burden.
CC: Where you disappointed with the small number of summer signings Burnley made?
UTC: I think everyone was, and that certainly includes the manager who has commented on it on several occasions. We were playing in Istanbul on the final day of the deadline, which doesn't help. The chief exec stayed behind to try and complete potential deals but nothing happened.
CC: Why do you think Burnley have had a slow start to the season?
UTC: It's so hard to pinpoint the reasons. We were told constantly from outside that our involvement in the Europa League qualifiers would affect us. It does seem ridiculous that we had to play on six consecutive Thursdays with some of those games intermingled with pre-season friendlies.
I think we had all decided that was the reason and that things would be fine once we'd got over the travelling and had an international break. It's not quite worked out like that yet.
CC: Where you disappointed with the small number of summer signings Burnley made?
UTC: I think everyone was, and that certainly includes the manager who has commented on it on several occasions. We were playing in Istanbul on the final day of the deadline, which doesn't help. The chief exec stayed behind to try and complete potential deals but nothing happened.
CC: Why do you think Burnley have had a slow start to the season?
UTC: It's so hard to pinpoint the reasons. We were told constantly from outside that our involvement in the Europa League qualifiers would affect us. It does seem ridiculous that we had to play on six consecutive Thursdays with some of those games intermingled with pre-season friendlies.
I think we had all decided that was the reason and that things would be fine once we'd got over the travelling and had an international break. It's not quite worked out like that yet.
CC: Sean Dyche has spoke of fatigue, do you think the players are as fit as last season having had a short pre-season?
UTC: If they are fatigued then I don't think it is a lack of fitness as such but the games programme we've had. We've played on Thursday nights in Turkey and Greece and flown straight home. That must hit the sleep patterns and unfortunately, because of how the European ties were drawn, we followed those trips with away games at Southampton and Fulham.
CC: What did you make of the team's performance against Wolves in your last game?
UTC: I was considering not even answering this question. It was as bad as anything I've seen for some considerable time to be honest. We were in disarray and it was only the inept Wolves forwards who helped us keep the score down.
CC: Are there any of the recent results where you felt the team were really unlucky not to have won?
UTC: We should have won the opening game at Southampton. We were better than they were, considerably so, but had to settle for a 0-0 draw. A week later, having conceded an early goal, we were level at half time against Watford and were, again, by far the better side. We then conceded two goals in the opening minutes of the second half and it has been pretty poor stuff ever since.
The only exception was our performance against Olympiacos. We were outstanding that night and really, with any luck, would have gone through and would have been playing in Europe again this week.
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CC: Who has been Burnley's best player so far this season?
UTC: I'd say take your pick from Joe Hart, James Tarkowski and Jeff Hendrick. Hart has had a couple of outstanding games, Tarkowski is just a very good Premier League defender and Hendrick, who is often the target when things aren't going well, has been as good as anyone else forward of the defence.
CC: Who has been the most disappointing player?
UTC: It's not just one player. The two full backs have disappointed, so have the wide players, Aaron Lennon and Jόhann Berg Guðmundsson, and Chris Wood has looked poor up front.
CC: Which players are injured at the moment and might come back to make an impact soon?
UTC: Steven Defour and Robbie Brady. We've missed them terribly. Defour has been out since January but played nearly an hour for the under-23s this week while Brady, who was brilliant at Bournemouth last season, suffered a serious injury on the following Saturday at Leicester and hasn't played since.
Get those two players back in the reckoning and there is absolutely no doubt we are strengthened.
CC: Do you think Burnley just need one good win to bring the belief back?
UTC: One win would certainly be a good start and I think it would be a great help to get things moving again. We shouldn't be bottom of the league but right now that's exactly where we are and we need to start getting results.
CC: How will Burnley line up against Bournemouth?
UTC: This will be interesting. Given the result and performance at Wolves I'd expect changes but it would be impossible to be honest right now to even think what the line up might be.
CC: What is your score prediction?
UTC: We need a win, we'll get one sooner or later, so I'll go for us to win this one 2-0.
CC: I never find it easy asking fans of teams that are struggling in the league. We have all been there and it hurts. But I agree with Tony that Burnley shouldn't be there and they will pick up results sooner or later. I do believe the efforts of last season mentally might still be weighing on the team. Joe Hart has come in and been exceptional but he needs those in front of him to show similar need not to want to get beat. Bournemouth's players though are in a great place mentally, and in terms of form and while Burnley are at home, all the pressure is on Burnley's players in this fixture. To be honest it's as a good a time as any to play Burnley and that is said respectfully, as Turf Moor is one of the hardest places to go and win a game usually. What I can assure you is that it will be long odds against on a 0-0 draw. There will be goals at both ends.
Check out more of Tony's views at Up the Clarets!
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